Engines are one of the more complex components in your vehicle. It consumes fuel and outputs mechanical power, which is converted to the right amount by the transmission. If you want to know a little bit more about engines, you are at the right place.
Diesel Engines
Diesel engines have one key difference in comparison with gasoline ones, which makes them much more reliable and harder to mistreat. The difference is the way the fuel is ignited, as you will learn shortly. If you continue to read, you will learn about the main processes that occur in a diesel engine.
- Air intake - The first step a diesel engine goes through is the intake of air through a filter.
- Fueling - Fuel is delivered by the fuel injection system, and it is sprayed in the cylinders.
- Compression and Ignition - After the air and fuel are in the cylinder, they are compressed, and due to the high temperature, this process produces a mixture that self-ignites.
- Exhaust - The final step is the exhaustion of excess gasses like CO2.
Gasoline Engines
Gasoline engines function almost the same but have one main difference, as you will see shortly. Usually, gasoline engines are a little bit more dependent on proper maintenance because they are a bit more complex. Here are the main steps a gasoline engine goes through:
- Air intake - Air is collected from the outside and directed to the air filter and then the engine.
- Fueling - Fuel is pumped from the gas tank to the fuel injectors and injected into the cylinders.
- Compression and ignition - the mixture is compressed and ignited, making the explosion as powerful as possible. The ignition happens by a spark from a spark plug.
- Exhaust - The leftover gasses from the reaction are discarded into the catalytic converter.
Key Differences
The main difference between the two is the ignition method. In diesel engines, it self-ignites because of the high temperature the compression process creates, and in gasoline engines, a spark is given from the spark plugs. We can't outline one of them as a winner or better than the other. Both of them have pros and cons.
If you are looking for a repair shop you can trust with your engine repairs or regular maintenance, Inmon Automotive is the answer. Our team will be happy to assist you with any issue bothering you, so give us a call.